MARTIN O'Neill has insisted Villa cannot feel sorry for themselves and have to bounce back quickly at Everton.

MARTIN O'Neill has insisted Villa cannot feel sorry for themselves and have to bounce back quickly at Everton.

Villa's 4-0 defeat at Chelsea was a hammer blow and O'Neill is looking for an immediate response from his players.

Everton might not be considered to be the type of side Villa need to be facing right now.

Having lost their last two matches to Fulham and Arsenal, David Moyes' men will be fired up and they hold a fine record at Goodison Park.

They even have a psychological edge over Villa after their 4-1 victory last March. But O'Neill is determined that his side will fight to get themselves back on track.

"It doesn't really matter who we are facing," he said. "We have got to go and compete and stay in the game and get some real belief about us."

Villa's last trip to Merseyside ended in a first defeat, 3-1 at Liverpool just a fortnight ago.

O'Neill has had no complaints with the two defeats, but wants improvements all round.

"Our two defeats have been by two of the finest sides playing at the moment. We met Liverpool on a very good day," he said. "But 6,000 people came down in midweek and those supporters are a big part of the football club.

"We don't want to be looking in envy at these clubs for the next 20 years. You want to go and you want to be competing. That's where we want to be going.